I am going to write future posts at www.diggingmywaytoea.blogspot.com

It’s time to start blogging here again. Yes, it’s time to go back to East Asia! Looks like I will be the only one in the family going this time.  I applied for a trip this morning that will be leaving April 2nd.

I haven’t been able to put words around my experiences in East Asia. It’s certainly not that I haven’t had anything to say. It’s more that I wasn’t sure what I feel about what I have to say. It usually takes a couple weeks for it all to soak in.

I recall that last year I didn’t want to talk about my trip the first week . This year I want to talk. I just want to be sure I adequately convey what it is I am feeling. I had the privilege of seeing what only a handful of outsiders have seen. After a year in the classroom, these kids are making astounding progress. Last year they told me how far the kids had come. This year I saw it with my own eyes. This program exists in only two orphanages. Their desire is to start a third this year. Another goal is to offer this kind of help to families throughout the community who choose not to abandon their special needs children. That is something I would like to be a part of! I am intrigued by the long range goals of the people who hosted us…I have to keep the names confidential.

One lasting impression of my trip is that of seeing a young, well-dressed couple observing in the classroom. I later learned that they have a child with cp. They wanted to see what a special needs classroom looks like because they had never seen or heard of one. Their question keeps replaying in my head, “Does a child have to live in the orphanage to receive your help?” Wow. Can you imagine what turmoil they must be feeling? Can you imagine putting your own child to bed at night, looking at your spouse and knowing what you both are thinking but being afraid to ask it out loud? “Do we have to turn our backs on our child because we are powerless to help him?”

This couple obviously loves their baby. They want to know how to help him grow and develop or they would not have sought out this program. The desire of our host organization is to provide classes in the community for families of special needs children. Information is a powerful tool. Parents in the culture would be blown away by a few simple facts: surgery will not correct cp, physical disabilities do not equal mental disabilities, etc.

Parents love their children. They want to help them, to see them blossom. And children need parents! Abandonment rocks the core of who we are. It sets our feet on the path we will take as we journey this earth. Such a small number of kids with special needs will ever find adoptive families. I believe the availability of community classes, instruction of trained special ed teachers and therapists, and support of like minded people will save families and positively impact the destiny of many children. I hope I get to go on this trip in the future. And I hope I can play a part in helping families learn to assist their children.

Can’t believe we are already home. That was the fastest 16 days of my life! I could not access wordpress over there. So now I will attempt to catch you up on our trip.  I am also posting some things on my other blog.  It was great to have Danny and Noah come over half way through my trip.  We had a great time reconnecting with kids we got to know last year. It was awesome to find out two of them are being adopted this summer. The little girl is four. Last year Danny wanted to bring her home.  She was very quiet last year. This year she was smiling and laughing.  It was great to see what a year in the classroom has done for her physically and emotionally.  The little boy, also four, is a handsome rascal, full of personality.  I got to pray with him at naptime during the week. What a neat opportunity to be able to pray for his transition into his new family.  There was a third child who is being adopted this year. She was probably two with a cleft lip.  Her foster mom would bring her in each morning in an attempt to make her transition easier.

What a cool thing to see these children not only progressing, but finding homes.  I am still seeking a home for Israel, my little 10 year old buddy. He is walking now, with the help of canes.  He still can’t support his own body weight. But he has come a long way.  I noticed that he is more trusting and warmed up to us easily.  He is so smart. And smiles all the time.  I think I already blogged here about seeing him the first day. I know there is a family out there who would be blessed to have him as a son.  I am still praying God will lead them to him.  Saying goodbye to him was tough.  I had to slip off to the bathroom so I could cry.  When I walked out, he was there looking into my eyes. I must have hugged him and told him I loved him five times!  Seeing him again was the best part of my trip.

Monday I was able to be with the children the first half of the day.  It was thrilling to see so many faces from last year and the new ones who have been added to the classroom.  It takes one teacher for one or two children because many have to be held up and need constant assistance.  The older ones who have been in the program a couple years are so self-sufficient.  It is beautiful to see them able to care for themselves when they used to be bed-ridden.  They have beautiful smiles and know they are loved.  As many of you know, I have a favorite.  We refer to him at Israel.  He remembered me!  I asked him for a hug.  Not only did he understand my efforts to speak his language, he stretched out his arms and gave me a wide smile!  I leaned over his wheelchair and wrapped my arms around him.  I had to excuse myself for a moment after that!  He is so precious.  I recall that the way I greeted him is the way I left him last year…hugging him in his chair.

I look forward to spending time with the other children as well. Next week I will be with them every day.  Can’t wait to see how they have progressed over the past year. The short morning I had with them was wonderful.

It is inspiring to see so many teachers so tenderly doing what society would deem menial tasks.  They love these children!  It is especially touching to see men serving in this way. Their every smile and hug, their assistance with feeding and changing says to these kids, “You are worth something!  And I think you are important enough that I will make my life’s work caring for you.”  How God must look down and say, “Way to go!  You have found what counts in this life!”

 You really should come with me next year and experience this for yourself. It will change your life. I remember thinking last year, “WOW! The things I worry over every day are already taken care of by my Creator.  I am focusing much of my energies on the temporal stuff.”  And again this year I am seeing that life is much bigger than my one acre in Georgia!  Something quiets my spirit when I gaze at the moon here and consider that the same moon that shines on my family back home is shining on billions of people here! My heart has been drawn here for many years.  It is fulfilling a dream to be allowed to love and do life with these brothers and sisters. 

This week has been great thus far. This year I am experiencing the city differently.  I am getting a small taste of what it would be like to live here.  The people and the city are beautiful.  I wish I had time for lots of details, but I am very busy.

This week I am serving the couple who tirelessly works here year round.  I will be able to share with many of you in person what is talking place in the small part of an enormous country.  This couple came home from the hospital with their new baby boy the very day 12 of us arrived. They are responsible for making sure we have food, transportation and translation.  So this week while her husband does all that and his regular work, I am helping my friend, her new baby and two year old daughter.  I am washing and ironing, cleaning and running errands, making lunch and talking with my friend about her work here, and reading books to her little girl and walking her to and from school.

So as you read this week and wonder, “I thought you went over there to work in an orphanage.”  Just know I am working! I am serving the ones who change lives of countless children. And they cannot do it without support, rest and friendship.  So thank you for sending me here to do that.  Thank you for loving the One who loves these forgotten faces. And believe me, we will have a party when I return and I will show you photos of all we have done. And you will never forget these faces!!!

I should be packing. But I’m not. I’m here, on the computer.  I’m sitting outside and Jett (who is 3) just walked out in his Tigger suit.  I was explaining how I will not be here when he wakes. I told him to wake up Daddy.  He says, “But I will miss you.”  I assure him that after I help some kids, I will come back to him.  Jett says, “But I want to help them too.”  I held his tiny face in my hands and told him how I will miss him. I was about to cry when Jett said, “Call me Honey Child.”  What did you say?  “Call me Doodle-E-Swat.”  That was just enough to make me laugh.  I will cry tomorrow, when he’s not looking.

Financially speaking, that is.  We have raised our support… three days before departure.  Thanks to our fabulous friend, Steve…who is flying over with Danny and Noah for Team 2.  He called a couple of friends to give. Then a guy we have never even met made up the difference. Over $1,000!  How about that?  We are grateful to have the fundraising off our mind so we can focus on the work ahead.  Be sure to check this blog over the next couple of weeks. I should be posting from East Asia.

Thank you all for your support!

I am getting so excited!!! I am leaving in 3 days. I am cooking chicken fried rice for dinner tonight.  I don’t know why…I will be eating fried rice for lunch every day for two weeks.   Good thing I like it.

I’ve already started packing. Yeah, I know…most of the people going are probably already packed and ready. But I do everything last minute.  That way I have had plenty of time to weigh all my options.  We have such a fabulous team going over. This first week I will be with Lisa:  an occupational therapist, an adoptive mom of two beautiful Chinese daughters and a good friend of mine…Juli: A really fun girl I have recently met who has a heart for kids who are different. She has some great things planned for the kids we are working with. I wouldn’t be surprised if Juli ends up a full time missionary with her very handsome, soon-to-be-husband, Blake.  Then there is Jenn! Jenn is a hard worker. I know this already because she is staying on this mission for three weeks. I liked Jenn the minute I met her.  She is going to bring alot of energy this endeavor.

You know how you meet someone and think…We share the same heart?  Well, that is how I feel about these three.  And that feeling is going to be even more of a reality after we serve together for 10 days!

Wow! What a great fundraising day we had. Saturday was our Tats for Tots party. From noon to midnight friends and family stopped by to get a tat, watch the artist at work or just hang out and drop off a donation. It was alot of fun. And we raised $1200 for our trip. Jamie Pierce is an incredible artist. We are so grateful that he was willing to set up shop for the day in our dining room and donate half of his proceeds to our cause. You can see a fun video of the day at Danny’s blog. Check it out!